CMS offers a deal to hospitals to cut Medicare appeals backlog
By
Tim Mullaney
Sep 03, 2014
In an effort to trim the huge backlog of Medicare claims appeals that has stymied long-term care and other providers, the government is offering a new way to settle some cases. Hospitals could receive...
Empowering nurse practitioners could reduce hospitalizations from SNFs, study finds
By
Tim Mullaney
Aug 29, 2014
Granting more authority to nurse practitioners is associated with reduced hospitalization of skilled nursing facility residents, according to recently published findings.
McDermott urges RAC penalties for successfully appealed decisions
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 21, 2014
Medicare recovery audit contractors should face financial penalties when providers successfully challenge their decisions, Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA) stated in a recent letter to the head of the Health...
Stroke patients should have access to robust palliative care, American Heart Association urges in first-of-its-kind...
By
Tim Mullaney
Mar 31, 2014
Stroke survivors have “enormous” palliative care needs, and healthcare providers should ensure they can provide these services, according to a scientific statement released Friday by the American...
Largest-ever HIPAA settlement rings in at $5 million, should be a lesson to providers sharing computer...
By
Tim Mullaney
May 09, 2014
New York Presbyterian Hospital and Columbia University have entered into the largest-ever government settlement over an electronic data breach, totaling $4.8 million, the Department of Health and Human...
Lack of information prevents long-term care planning even for those with high incomes, SCAN report finds
By
Tim Mullaney
Aug 16, 2013
Americans who are earning high incomes often do not plan sufficiently for their long-term care needs, according to a new report from the SCAN Foundation and Langer Research Associates.
Nursing home antipsychotic use has dipped nearly 19% under national effort, latest figures show
By
Tim Mullaney
Oct 31, 2014
The percent of long-stay nursing home residents receiving antipsychotic medication has decreased 18.8% under a nationwide initiative that started in 2012.
Huge number of therapy claims stuck in manual review limbo for months, NASL study finds
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 09, 2013
A much-criticized system of reviewing certain Medicare therapy claims is still beset by problems, with about a third of this year’s claims awaiting processing, according to a recently released survey...
Long-Term Care Commission members shed light on financing deliberations, urge continued political pressure
By
Tim Mullaney
Sep 11, 2014
Long-term services and supports should be a major focus of next year’s White House Conference on Aging, and advocates should work to keep financing reform in the spotlight during the upcoming mid-term...
Major problems with the pipeline of LTC workers, report states
By
Tim Mullaney
Jan 22, 2015
Workers are leaving long-term care at a faster rate than they are joining the field, according to a new report from the University of California, San Francisco. And many people experience poverty after...